Surgical instrument



Aug. 14, 1956 J. B. DAVIS SURGICAL INSTRUMENT Filed July 27, 1953 FIG.5

JAMES B. DAVIS 'INVENTOR fi Z fM ATTORNEYS wrw 2,758,601 SURGICAL INSTRUMENT James E. Davis, Minneapolis, Minn. Application July 27, 1953, Serial No. 370,418

3 Claims. or. 128-309) The herein disclosed invention relates to surgical instruments and has for an object to provide an instrument particularly adapted for use in the performing of a tonsillotomy.

An object of the invention resides in providing an instrument utilizing a tubular stem for attachment at one end to suction means and having a passageway therein nited States Patent O communicating with the suction means and in further providing a holder at the other end of the stem.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a receiver formed with a cavity and carried by said holder and into which the tonsil may be drawn by suction to hold the same in proper position for removal.

An object of the invention resides in constructing the holder with a socket and in which a neck formed on the receiver may be inserted to hold the receiver in position in the holder.

Another object of the invention resides in constructing the socket of frusto-conical form and the neck of the receiver of similar form to fit into the socket and hold the receiver removably attached to the holder.

A feature of the invention resides in constructing the receiver with an ovular rim at the entrance to the cavity thereof and in rctatably mounting the receiver in the holder so that the axis of the rim may be disposed at any desired predetermined relation with respect to the stem.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a construction in which a number of receivers may be employed of different sizes and shapes to accommodate different forms and dimensions of tonsils.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

In the drawings:

Fig. i is a plan view of a surgical instrument illustrating an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the receivers removed from the holder.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a plan view similar to Fig. 3 of another form of receiver.

Fig. 7 is an elevational sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 88 of Fig. 6.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated consists of a stem iii tubular in form and constructed of metal or any other suitable material. This stem has a passageway 11 extending throughout the length of the same. At one end of the stem N is attached a rubber tube 12 which may be connected to any suitable source of suction such as an aspirator or vacuum pump. The intermediate portion of the stem is knurled as indicated at 13 to form a handle by means of which the instrument may be manipulated.

At the other end of the stem 10 is provided a holder .14 in which is removably mounted one of a number of receivers 15 in which the tonsil is to be drawn. The holder 14 is cup shaped in form and has a lateral wall structure 16 and a bottom 17 connected thereto. The stem 10 fits partly over the wall structure 16 and partly over the bottom 17 and is brazed or otherwise secured to said holder. In the bottom 17 is formed an opening it which communicates with the passageway 11 of the stem 10. By means of the construction shown, a socket 19 is formed in the holder 15 and which is frustoconical in form and flares outwardly from the bottom 17.

The receiver 15 illustrated in Figs. '1 and 2 consists of a head 21 having a neck 22 extending outwardly therefrom. This neck has an outer surface 23 frusto-conical in form and which is adapted to snugly fit within the socket 19 in the holder 14. The receiver 13 is constructed with a cavity 24 which extends completely through the head 21 and the neck 22 and communicates with the opening 18 in the bottom 17 of holder 14. Ex tending about the cavity 24 and formed on the head 21 is a rim 25. The outer portion 26 of the cavity 24 in the head 21 is preferably ovular in form to conform to the shape of the tonsil and the rim 25 is correspondingly ovular. It will readily be comprehended that the receiver may be inserted into the holder 14 in any position with reference to the same and frictionally held in position through engagement with the wall structure 16 of the said holder. By constructing the socket 19 frustoconical and likewise the surface 23, the receiver 15 may be rotated to give any desired relation between the said receiver and the stem iii. In the stem 10 is formed a control opening 29 by means of which the flow of air respect to the receiver 15, the description of this receiver will not be repeated but the same reference numerals preceded by the digit 1 will be used to designate the corresponding parts. It will be noted that in this receiver the rim and theportion 1260f cavity 124 have a greater major axis than the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

, In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 still another form of receiver has been illustrated. Due to the similarity between this form and the receiver 15 the description thereof will not be repeated but the same reference numerals preceded by the digit 2 will be used to designate the corresponding parts. The receiver shown in these figures difiers principally from that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 in that the height of the same is considerably less.

be comprehended that any shape or form of receiver may be employed and having a stem capable of being inserted into the socket 19'of the holder 14.

The manner of using the invention is as follows: The instrument is held in one hand with one finger in position to cover the opening 29 in stem 10. In the other hand is held the usual snare which is positioned with its loop directly overlying the rim 25 of the receiver 15. Both are simultaneously moved in position over the tonsil with the tonsil at the rim 25. The opening 29 is then closed by the finger of the surgeon and the suction produced in the passageway 11 of stem 10 causes air to flow into the cavity 24 of receiver 15 and through the opening 18 in holder 14 and to said passageway. This draws the tonsil by suction into the receiver 10. The tonsil may then be moved outwardly from the portion of the throat against which it lies and the snare tightened and the tonsil removed in the customary manner.

The advantages of the invention are manifest. The device is extremely simple in construction and can be fabricated at a nominal expense. If desired, the receivers While onlyv three forms of receiver have been shown, it will readily be provided of different shapes and sizes to fit difierent tonsils. The receivers may be adjustably positioned in the holder to'procure any predetermined relation with respect to the stern 'so as to permit the user to properly position the receiver withrespect' to the tonsil. The use of the instrument permits of easily and quickly removing the tonsiland reduces the danger to the patient.

Changes in the specific form of the invention, as herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be, protected by Letters Patent is:

1. In a surgical instrument a tubular stem for attachment at one end to suction means and having a passageway therein communicating with said suction means, a holder at the other end of said stem and having a socket in the form of a surface of revolution and a tonsil re ceiver having a cavity surrounded by an oval-shaped rim and received in said socket and rotatable. therein to position said rim in predetermined relation with respect to said stem.

2. In a surgical instrument a tubular stem for attachment at one end to suction means and having a passageway therein communicating with said suction means, a holder at the other end of said stem, a tonsil receiver having a cavity surrounded by an oval-shaped rim and a rotatable connection between said holder and receiver for rotatably supporting said receiver for rotation relative to said holder about the axis of said rim to position said rim in predetermined relation with respect to said stem.

3. In a surgical instrument a tubular stem for attachment at one end to suction means and having a passageway therein communicating with said suction means, a cup shaped holder at the other end of said stem, said holder having a bottom and a lateral wall structure forming in said holder a socket, the bottom of the holder having an opening therein communicating with the passageway in said stem, a tonsil receiver removably received in said socket and comprising an annular wall structure providing a cavity therein and openings at the top and at the bottom communicating with said cavity, the opening at the bottom being greater than the opening between the socket and the passageway in said stem, the bottom of said holder forming a bottom for said receiver when the receiver is mounted in said socket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,001,175 Siebert Aug. 22, 1911 1,107,888 Buck Aug. 18, 1914 2,555,076 Crossley May 29, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 121,673 Switzerland July 16, 1927 

